The Culinary Fiesta - Appetisers

Day 1

The group was suppose to meet at 11am, but given unforeseen circumstances, none of us managed to reach on time.... the first to arrive was Kel, followed by Eugene, and the special guest for this fiesta, Meiqi. Last to arrive, to no one surprise, were Aaron, Jay and Leong. Ra was unable to join us to kick start this gourmet event as he has a mission aka bringing his lives friend from Bishan to Aloha.

Without Ra, the group feasted at Ikea, Tampines... of course, this is just the beginning of many more good food to come.

IKEA's signature
the lunch

After satisfying our stomach, we proceeded to Giant to purchase the ingredients for the Fiesta.

SWEET potatoes

seafood

not at Giant

Disclaimer: This is not taken at Giant, but at Fairprice, just to show Ra was 'involved'. (FYI: As Ra was having trouble handling his live friends, Jay and Leong were dispatched to help him and carried out second round of shopping)

aaron and his watermelon

our shopping cart


After shopping, the group once again gathered at the venue for the Fiesta, Aloha Loyang.

garden terraces

camellia - venue for the Grand feast

After settling down, the group went for a round of volleyball game, which did not go well with our amateurish skills, thus explain the lack of pics, no unglam photo allowed... : ).

Next, we had to prepare for the two major events of the day, Night Cycling and BBQ!

First stop, the bike rental shop. Spent a bomb there, though, the auntie said it was already a very cheap deal. Of course, being the Resident Slut, Ra had to make his money worth and decided to give the auntie a difficult time by ordering her to do a Extreme Makeover for his bike.

discussion

checking

geared up

After settling the bikes, the group proceed into the kitchen to prepare for BBQ... of course, the hot question was "Where's the Duck?", though it will only make its debut tomorrow.

aaron, hard at work

buzzing kitchen

deja vu...
again.

marinating....

chopping away....

As the name of the fiesta suggests, it a chance for members to flaunt their culinary skills, Eugene starts the ball rolling with his Barley with ginko nut.

preparation

Barley with Ginko Nut

Soon, it is time to start the fire... thankfully, we have people that are well trained.

fan fan fun...

smoking....

the real pro

Soon, the BBQ is undergoing and we had good food, and good company.

the food

on the grill

After the sinful BBQ, it is time for us to burn some calories, and of course, the best way is Night Cycling, which is a first time experience for most of us.

We cycled on the newly completed Eastern Park Connector, which pass by places like Pasir Ris Park, Tampines Central, East Coast Park, Changi Beach etc etc. We took 6 hours plus to complete the whole PCN.

group pic

group @ Siglap

short break at Mac, ECP

group @ Changi Beach

After the tiring trip, finally we arrived back safe and sound. IT is time to wash up and head for the bed.

satisfied

-------- Tidbits --------

"Do you mind?!"

- Ra, ordering two poor girls to help him press the traffic light button

"Come on, this is not Total Defence Day"

- Someone, at Giant

"Aiyoh, this Fairprice is so inferior.... like Sheng Siong"

- Jay, dismayed at the limited selection at Fairprice, White Sands

"Picking Apples is serious business"

- Ra, while vying with some aunties for Fuji apples

"Where's the Duck?"

-All

The Culinary Fiesta - The Menu

Event Info
Host:
The Racoons!

Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem

Start Time:
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 11:00am

End Time:
Friday, July 25, 2008 at 10:00am

Location:
Aloha Loyang

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6 Racoons, 3 lunches, 2 dinners, 1 outrageous party!

The Culinary Fiesta presents an ideal opportunity to hone your culinary skills...yes, YoU.

A gastronomic adventure to behold. Delectable dishes includes our master chef (no introduction is needed)presenting his debut dish *exquisite duck soup* where you will taste the essence from the juices seeping out and an unforgettable aroma that will richly satisfy your soul.

Not to forget...Green is the must. An abundance of lettuce and seasonal fruits will help to wash the grease off your gullet for those health-conscious ones.Palatable food will be whipped out, not from the floor as what you see or imagine. We aint in that stage of poverty yet.

Sports and many more entertainment...

Lastly, night cycling will be held to burn off all the sinful calories...

No RSVP is required\\Attendance is mandatory.

A no-show fee will be imposed for those who fail to ra-coon the event.

The Boat Trip >>> Hold on tight, its gonna be a ride of a lifetime

Welcome!

The Boat Trip is finally finalised.

So get ready your fishing gear and picnic stuff cause we are goin to sea! Safety vests will be available. Oars are optional. To motion-sickness raccoons, gulp your pills in advance coz seasickness bag will not be available.

Pls bring the following: Poncho/Umbrella, Sunblock Lotion, tidbits, your usual self, hydration needs, camera?

Rules to adhere: no heavy bulky 10year series pls, the boat has a weight limit, its either the book or the book+boat goes down.

You wouldn't want to miss the closing ceremony of Ra-fiesta and the grand opening of the Culinary Fiesta.

Note: Never underestimate the power of a boat.It may be small but it has the speed to scare the wits out of you.

Changi Sailing Club

So with that, on this fateful day, the raccoons set out to the sea.... before that, we met at Mcdonald's @ Tampines Mall for breakfast(who know, that could have been our last meal).

After the hearty meal, with heavy heart, we made our way to Changi Sailing Club to set our first sight on the boat that all of us going to place our lives on... thank goodness, it is better than expected and not just a sampan.

getting the boat ready

After a round of final check (and some praying by Ra aka Resident Slut/tai tai), we were all geared up to go.

on board


And off we go at Full speed instead of cruising as what others had advised....

randomness...

where's the shore?

bursting with confidence...

hold on tight....

Where's Aaron????

drink up

FM radio

We did some fishing, though the excitement of the day happens when the boat is travelling, especially when we entered the restricted water of CNB(not once but twice) and get caught by the Navy personnel, the siren is still ringing in our ears when the storm seems to be approaching us, and will be on us any moment. The sea was turning sooo chopping that our small little boat was slamming up and down and look as if it may just break or capsize any moment.

It was as if the group was filming some thriller/action movie.... one climax after the other. Ra drove the boat to some shallow water and the engine died on us. It was at the moment where the oar on board came in handy... lol

the catch

glad

After the excitement and a few J/donut turns by Aaron, the raccoons finally managed to reach back on land safely.

the engine at full speed

Of course, this calls for a celebratory dinner @ Changi V....

dinner.

Indeed, it is a memorable and death-defying ride... most of us were glad to be alive at the end of the day... Wondering when will be the next thrill ride????

--------Quotes of the day--------

"Curry, my curry"

- Ra @ NTUC where his curry tuna suggestion were rejected

"that's mine"

- Ra, when John shows us where are the life vests

"Too fast... too fast"

-John, calling after us, when Aaron just speed off when some of us are still not seated yet.

"Yuuuhooooo, I'm here!!!"

- Aaron aka Blondie, trying to attract attention in the open sea

"10 minutes"

- Ra aka Weather Witch, predicting the storm ETA, using his osteoporotic knees

"Aaron, quick drive us out of the storm!"

- Ra

" Quick , we are rushing for time!"

- Ra, turning the boat to full throttle, just before he drove us to shallow water

"I knew the oar will come in handy"

- Jay, when we were stuck

"Luckily we are still alive"

- All

Ra-Fiesta!!!!

The highly anticipated event of the year....

"The inaugural festive bash is approaching and wont fail to impress all party-lovers who are seeking for a ride of a lifetime and endless food that can satisfy people with gargantuan stomachs. Be sure to attend the Ra-Fiesta. In conjunction with the in-house racoon geomancer, it is now held on the weekend prior to the birthday with a proper balance of yin & yang and alignment of the stars, a day suitable for "safety boat rides" or endless gulping of food."

- reliable source

Of course, all six must be present for such a major event. First stop for us is lunch @Subway. As we were planning to save our stomach space for the grand feast later, we opted for something light.

Subway @ Central (look at Ra at the background, scrutinizing the menu)

After the quick bite, we proceeded to Settler's Cafe, where the fun and games begin... tried out several games, some were quick boring and definitely the most enjoyable game is "Taboo", especially when it is Raymond's turn(and poor Kelvin had to partner with him)...

J's turn

Ra's turn, with roars of laughter

Where's my muse???

group photo @ Settler's

After the games, we travelled to Royal Plaza on Scotts for dinner buffet @ Carousel. It was definitely expensive and classy enough to suit Ra's status as "tai tai" aka Big Spender of the group, and anything lesser will be an insult to him.

The buffet spread was so big that even though we spent four hours there, we could not try out all the dishes( Ra went for 4 rounds at the seafood section). It was obvious he ruined the delicate ecosystem of the marine creatures by gulping countless shellfishes.

let the feast begins

Ra, with a disgusted Eugene

extreme measures to ask Ra to stop(just joking...)

freshness... peel on the spot

finally, it's time for dessert


Of course, last activity of the day is the present presentation to Raymond, by Aaron... As we noticed that Ra's yellow radioactive/bio hazard bag was worn out, it was natural for us to buy him a new and much more fashionable bag...lol... It was like sure like the M16 rifle presentation

no more bio hazard...

the crowning ceremony

group photo @ Carousel

---------------Quotes of the Day---------------

" I feel like a cow."

Aaron @ Subway/ Jay @ Carousel

"Hiny Hiny..."

Aaron, during Taboo for the word "pony"

"Monkey"

Ra, clue for Nicole Kidman

"I don't listen to her song"

Aaron

"What do you say when you are surprised?"

Ra, mistaken the word "Vow" for "Wow"

"Where...where...I said WHERE!!!"

Ra, pressing for answer during Taboo

Editor's note: Ra - fiesta is aka Raymond's 21st Birthday Celebration

When the racoons meet the hippo....

19 May 2008 (Mon)

okay...what are the odds???? All six of us are free once again(not actually)... Anyway, we took the opportunity to visit Eugene at the Hippo Tour. It was a first for most of us as 23 bucks per pax is way too expensive for our budget lifestyle(except Ra who has been living like a tai tai ironically).
Took the city tour route. It was fun, especially gossiping on board with the breeze blowing at us. And we had a excellent guide... lol.

oops... no tips from us...

topless...

kiddo language? there was a monkey face on it, monkey=kids??

Be Hip! Yes, vomiting is allowed.

our guide, Eugene

views...

scenery...

more...

and more....

enough....

already.

Hippo

Not to forget, Ra & Jay had a gd laugh when we saw a SBST bus ad about the unlawful act of smuggling cigarettes, about a person carrying a giant cigarette and a huge phrase stating, "dont carry the burden". The ad just reminded us of the smoke addict, Mr Da-Wang, the infamous top smoker for relief teaching, who doesnt believe in cancers & all the health hazards. "Im as fit as a fiddle", is his favorite phrase translated in mandarin. Of course, the joke was that he would be more than happy to carry the burden and smoke that huge cigarette that can last him the entire year with a loadful of tobacco enough to satisfy his cravings.

After the tour, we went to Changing Appetites for dinner. It was filling. Ra, being the Resident Slut, decided to make life difficult for one of the trainee there with his confusing order. The supervisor had to interfere to see whats Ra up to. Poor guy...his language was bad enough and he became one of the targets for Ra to meet his daily quota.

Golden Blossom, but wait till u see the roots, which was thrown into the pot of oil as well.

Barbarian Burger

Quote of the Trip...

"We should go to Sushi Tei... they have superb salad there!"

- Aaron aka Blondie

" I want to change my beef patties to chicken... hmmm... nope... one chicken one fish... ask your supervisor over!"

- Ra aka Resident's Slut

"The birthday celebration will last one week. It will be a carnival!!! RA-fiesta!"

-unknown sources

"Are you guys free on the Friday 13th???"

-Ra, oblivious of the inauspicious dates that most Asians try to avoid in this society

"how unglam"

- Aaron, on why he never order ribs for dinner

and of course, not to forget.....the infamous Quote that has been resurfacing every meetings:

"The ship has sailed", with the hand symbols showing how a boat on rough seas travelling horizontally